Toshiba Memory America, Inc. (TMA), the U.S.-based subsidiary of Toshiba Memory Corporation, today announced that its RC100 Series of NVMe™ (NVM Express™) M.2 solid state drives (SSDs) is now available. First introduced earlier this year at CES 2018, the new RC100 Series is geared toward the retail DIY market and features a powerful yet cost-effective design to make the benefits of NVMe storage accessible to more users than ever before.

The Toshiba RC100 Series is well-suited to the entire spectrum of mainstream computing – from gaming desktops and notebooks to mini-PCs (NUCs) and everything in between. The new drives are available in capacities of 120, 240 and 480 gigabytes.

While the performance advantages of first-generation NVMe drives are well known, this high performance has come at an equally high cost – until now. By leveraging its state-of-the-art 64-layer, 3-bit-per-cell TLC (triple-level cell) BiCS FLASH™ technology and an in-house-developed controller, Toshiba Memory Corporation was able to fit an entire SSD within a single BGA package. The RC100 Series balances cost and performance and bridges the gap between SATA and enthusiast-grade NVMe SSDs. A compact design also enables the RC100 to fit onto an M.2 2242 (22x42mm) PCB, making it one of the smallest SSDs commercially available.

In addition to affordability, RC100 SSDs are designed for efficiency, consuming approximately 70 percent of the active power draw of enthusiast NVMe drives and giving mobile users even longer battery life on the go.

“With the RC100 Series, we set out to address a major complaint that users have with NVMe drives – their expense,” said Alex Mei, vice president marketing, consumer SSDs and storage outbound marketing at TMA. “Not only are our new SSDs more affordable than the enthusiast NVMe drives on the market, they are more compact and power efficient as well. With the RC100 Series, we’re opening the door for mainstream adoption of the M.2 NVMe standard – and all of the benefits it brings.”

The Toshiba RC100 Series can be purchased from major retail stores and e-tailers in North America, including Amazon and Newegg. Please visit ssd.toshiba-memory.com/en-amer/ssd for more information.